By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff reporter
The governing Grand National Party (GNP) is becoming increasingly anxious over "Yeongpo-gate," the latest scandal involving senior civil servants from President Lee Myung-bak's hometown of Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province.
Though it has called for a full investigation into the scandal, the ruling party appears to be deeply concerned that it might further tarnish its image and lead to another defeat in the July 28 Natuional Assembly by-elections in which eight seats are up for grabs.
"Prosecutors must carry out a thorough investigation into the incident, without leaving any doubt, and sternly punish the perpetrators," GNP floor leader Rep. Kim Moo-sung said Wednesday.
Kim, however, denied rumors that his party or Cheong Wa Dae were involved in the scandal.
He said an official of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) appeared to have single-handedly masterminded the illegal surveillance of a businessman, driven by personal ambition and the lust for power.
"It is wrong to assume that the central administration or other organizations orchestrated it," Kim said.
Observers say the ethical breach could deal a major blow to the GNP, which is reeling from successive defeats in the June local elections and on the Sejong City revision plan, which was voted down at the National Assembly late last month.
The scandal erupted last week when the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) raised the suspicion that "Yeongpohoe," a fraternity that it claims is blindly loyal to President Lee, masterminded the unlawful surveillance.
Yeongpohoe, which has more than 100 members whose hometown is Pohang, was formed in the late 1980s and reportedly played a significant role in rallying support for President Lee to be elected in the 2007 presidential election.
Lee In-kyu, the head of the ethics section of the prime minister's office, ordered the illegal surveillance and ransacked the businessman's company to confiscate financial records. He also forced KB Bank, one of the company's main clients, to discontinue business dealings with him.
Lee is known to be a member of Yeongpohoe, though his home town is Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang Province, and regularly reported the results of the surveillance to other members of the fraternity.
Opposition parties also claim that officials belonging to the fraternity have been swiftly promoted through their connections since President Lee took office in February 2008.
The DP has called for an Assembly hearing or the launch of a special counsel to investigate the scandal, but the GNP argues that the party is trying to use the case for political purposes ahead of the by-elections.
Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers have also raised suspicion that Park Young-june, vice minister for government policies for the prime minister's office, is a member of the disgraced fraternity and helped spearhead the illegal surveillance.
Park served as an aide to President Lee's elder brother, Rep. Lee Sang-deuk, for more than 10 years.
Park, however, has denied his involvement, saying that his hometown is Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province.